On a sunny day in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood, Father Michael Pfleger marked his 50th anniversary in the priesthood—not with a ceremony focused on himself, but with a celebration that mirrored his life’s work: service to others.
“I really wasn’t going to do anything about the 50th,” Father Pfleger said with a smile. “Then the cardinal called and said, ‘You’ve got to celebrate somehow.’ So I said, ‘Let me bless the community that’s been blessing me all these years.'”
That blessing came in the form of a gun buyback, a food giveaway with 400 boxes of groceries, and a full-blown carnival for neighborhood children. There were bouncy houses, a petting zoo, a DJ, and basketball—just a few of the ways Pfleger chose to pour back into the Auburn Gresham neighborhood where he has served for decades.
“This is what he do, what he been doing all his life,” said longtime Saint Sabina parishioner Pam Bosley. “So what a better way to celebrate his 50th anniversary other than giving? He always about the community and always about the youth.”
The festivities drew neighbors, leaders, and city officials, including Chicago Fire Commissioner Annette Nance-Holt, who is also a parishioner.
“What he’s done in the community, in the city and across the country, it’s amazing what one man can do,” Nance-Holt said. “We don’t even want him to ever retire, to be honest. That’s how much we love Father Pfleger.”
Despite the admiration, Pfleger’s road to priesthood and activism has not been easy. He was once nearly denied ordination for being “too radical,” particularly for wanting to model his church after the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“I thought they were going to deny me,” Pfleger recalled. “But the director said, ‘I vote for him to be ordained.’ And others around the room voted too. That’s how I got it.”
Since then, Father Mike, as many call him, has led a life rooted in faith and social justice. He’s been arrested more than 30 times, sued, beaten, disowned by family, and falsely accused of sexual abuse—allegations from which he was cleared. Through it all, he’s kept his mission focused on justice and compassion.
“You’re going to get hate. You’re going to get attacked,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’ve got to look at myself in the mirror and feel okay with me and feel okay with God.”
He’s credited with shutting down the Dan Ryan Expressway in 2018 to draw attention to gun violence.
“We wanted the city to be forced to look at the gun violence that was going on that year, which was horrific,” Pfleger said.
His accomplishments stretch far beyond protests. Under his leadership, Saint Sabina has grown to include a youth center, a school, a farm, a social service office, and a job placement program. The parish now employs 182 people and touches hundreds of lives weekly through food distribution and outreach.
Even after 50 years, Pfleger shows no signs of slowing down.
“God has blessed me with health and energy,” he said. “I go to bed at midnight and wake up at 5:30. I love what I do.”
To the next generation of faith leaders, Father Pfleger offers some simple advice.
“Your life isn’t valued by what you drive or what you accumulate. It’s what you do for other people. This is a lifelong job. If you’re not willing to roll up your sleeves for the long haul, don’t get in it,” he said.
And to those watching from afar, he hopes to be remembered not just for his sermons, but for his service.
“When people look back, I hope they say, ‘He lived it. He didn’t just say it. He lived it,'” he said.
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